OneNote for Mac desktop and iPad Layout & Syncing Issues

Question

OneNote for Mac desktop and iPad Layout & Syncing Issues

KG 0

Hello,

I have been an avid OneNote user for the past 8 years but recently in 2026 I've been discovering numerous OneNote syncing issues b/w mac desktop app and iPad, as well as changing (not for the better) layout issues on both platforms.

The syncing issues occur when using apple pencil to make notes and write on the iPad and then syncing between the desktop and iPad app -- the handwritten notes/highlights/drawings/scribbles do not sync up to the correct physical location on the desktop app. For example, if I have inserted a printout in OneNote desktop then use my apple pencil to write notes, highlight, etc. on my iPad, those handwritten notes and highlights are offset on the desktop app. If I try to move the handwritten portions so that they align on the Desktop app, then concurrently they are misaligned on the iPad. This is troublesome bc I am unable to read and work fluidly between these two interfaces, so I have to ultimately decide to either purely use the desktop app for a task (and stick with keyboard only inputs), OR just handwrite all notes with the stylus and forgoing all keyboard/typed inputs so that the two don't clash.
The layout issues are occurring on both the desktop app (for mac) and the iPad. The Notebook > Section > Page nesting layout changed where now the Notebooks have their own collapsible sidebar toggle (instead of the dropdown list like before which was more intuitive and faster for use) and the Section and Pages also have their own collapsible sidebar. So there are essentially 2 collapsible sidebars that I have to maneuver through if I want to quickly change through Notebooks, Pages, Section, etc. It is a headache, an extra hassle, not intuitive, and imo just a bad layout. Don't fix what ain't broke -- it was never broken before, but now it's been changed and has become worse. The web layout is still the normal/typical/BETTER layout, it is just the Mac desktop app and iPad version that have changed to this newer and worse layout. Was this due to an app update? Can I UNDO an app update and go back to the older (and better) OneNote layout version for Desktop app and iPad app? Please let me know.

These are my issues with OneNote right now. If anyone knows of a way to solve these problems, pls let me know. Thank you.

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1 answer

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Answer 1

Hi KG,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Thank you for sharing this information.

I understand that when you add drawings, handwritten notes, or typed text to OneNote and access the content across different platforms, the positioning of these elements may not appear consistently between the OneNote desktop app for macOS and the iPad app. I have also noticed that some other users have reported similar issues.

In this case, I recommend submitting feedback directly to the Microsoft OneNote development team by selecting:

Help > Feedback > Report a Problem

When submitting your feedback, you should attach screenshots and include your OneNote version and the steps required to reproduce the issue. This information will help the development team better understand and investigate the problem, as well as consider possible improvements or fixes in future updates.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.

I look forward to continuing the conversation.

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